1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to folding wheelchairs. Specifically, the invention relates to lateral supports for supporting wheelchair occupants and limiting their lateral movement while seated in a wheelchair.
2. General Background and State of the Art
The prior art includes many examples of wheelchairs and strollers that are used for the transport of infants, children, invalids, or anyone suffering from a debilitating disease or condition. Wheelchairs may also be used when a person is too weak to walk or in other similar situations. Often it is desirable to have a foldable wheelchair to allow for convenient transportation and storage when the wheelchair is not in use.
It is also often desirable to provide restraints on a wheelchair to restrict an occupant""s movement. The prior art includes several references which disclose restraint systems. One such reference, U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,531, discloses a foldable stroller for children having a back portion and a pair of lateral side elements which are connected in the back of the wheelchair by split crosspieces having a common control bar and an actuating grip therebetween. The lateral side pieces are placed high on the back of the stroller to restrict movement of the wheelchair occupant""s head. The connection between the lateral side elements and the back of the wheelchair also allows the wheelchair to be folded in a side-to-side manner without a great degree of interference from the lateral side elements. However, one drawback to this type of configuration is that only the occupant""s head is prevented from moving while the occupant is seated in the wheelchair. Other parts of the occupant""s body are free to move, which can cause problems when the occupant has debilitating conditions such as involuntary spastic movement of various other parts of his or her body.
Another prior art reference is disclosed at U.S. Pat. No. 4,353,577. This reference discloses a collapsible stroller having an adjustable backrest. This stroller includes a pair of headrest side extensions which also restrict the movement of a wheelchair occupant""s head. This reference also is therefore limited to restricting the movement of a person""s head. The configuration of this reference, as with the previous reference, does nothing to restrict movement of other parts of a wheelchair occupant""s body.
Accordingly, it is one object of the invention to provide a foldable wheelchair. It is another object of the invention to provide an adequate system of restraint for a wheelchair occupant""s torso. It is yet another object of the invention to provide a folding wheelchair having such a system of restraining a wheelchair occupant""s torso.
The present invention provides a folding wheelchair having a lateral restraint system which includes a pair of lateral supports positioned to restrict lateral movement of a wheelchair occupant. Each of the lateral supports includes a base portion and an elongated portion. The base portion is connectable to the back portion of a wheelchair, such that when an occupant is seated in the wheelchair, the lateral supports restrict the movement of his or her torso.
The present invention also provides that the lateral restraint system is both flexible and adjustable, depending on the type of wheelchair to which it is attached and also depending on the size of the wheelchair occupant. The lateral supports are also releasably attached to the back portion of the wheelchair such that they can be adjusted and moved depending on the size of the wheelchair occupant. The invention contemplates that different types of attachments can be used to releasably attach the lateral supports to the back portion of a wheelchair. The invention also contemplates that the back portion of the wheelchair may be a standard backing material or may also be, in an alternative embodiment, a netting material. A base plate coupled to the base portion of each lateral support is releasably attachable to the back portion of the wheelchair. A bolt and wing nut assembly may be used, which includes at least one bolt and at least one wing nut for each lateral support. In an alternative embodiment, the base plate can be coupled to the base portion by a hook and pile assembly.
In the embodiment where a netting material is used for the backing material, the netting material provides for improved ventilation and easy attachment of the lateral supports. The lateral supports can be connected through holes in the netting material without the need for cutting or punching the netting material. Additionally, the pre-installation of grommets is not needed for the attachment of the lateral supports.